by Vote on Bush proposal expected this week – Nuclear Information and Resource Service

The Dept of Energy (DOE) wants to redefine “high level radioactive waste” from reprocessing irradiated nuclear fuel, so it can be left to leak into major waterways from buried tanks in Washington, Idaho, South Carolina and New York.

The Nuclear Waste Policy Act (existing law) defines wastes from reprocessing irradiated (“spent”) nuclear fuel as “High Level Radioactive Waste.” The law requires it to be disposed of in a Nuclear Regulatory Commission-licensed high-level radioactive waste repository. DOE wants to save money and time by ignoring the hazards of the waste, claiming it is not “High Level” and grouting it in place, to leak out into major waterways. Some is already leaking.

A court recently ruled against DOE, requiring the waste continue to be treated as “high level nuclear waste.” DOE has appealed but is trying to legislate around the decision too.
Call your US Representative TODAY 10/2/03 at 202 225-2131 or 202- 224-3121
To prevent weakening of High Level Nuclear Waste protections! House Floor Vote 10/2

Ask your Rep to: Vote YES on the Inslee-Spratt Motion to Instruct the Energy Conference Committee to prevent weakening high level radioactive waste protections in the Energy Bill, HR 6. This vote is expected OCT 2 at the earliest so PLEASE CALL ASAP.

Representative Jay Inslee (D, WA) and Representative John Spratt Jr. (D, SC) are expected to bring up a motion to instruct the energy conferees not to add a provision to the Energy Bill that deregulates high level nuclear waste by redefining it as not high level, leaving it to leak from buried tanks into major waterways. The Dept of Energy is pushing to have such a provision introduced in the conference committee even though it was not in either the House or Senate Energy bills that are being conferenced.

Please call your representative today to ask him/her to VOTE FOR THE INSLEE SPRATT MOTION TO INSTRUCT ENERGY CONFEREES to prevent deregulation of high level radioactive wastes in the energy bill HR 6. And ask them to OPPOSE THE WHOLE BILL, HR 6, which is laden with nuclear subsidies including new nuclear reactors, liability limits on new reactors, more reprocessing — which created the waste DOE wants to deregulate and abandon! And more.

For more info contact: Diane D’Arrigo, Nuclear Information and Resource Service 202 328-0002 x 16